Posts Tagged ‘Juli Niemann’

“The Japanese have always pulled together after every disaster,” pointed

Mae Gordon, Jean Scott

out Smith Moore & Co. analyst Juli Niemann over lunch in the restaurant of the Ritz-Carlton.  ”Their’s is a very tightly knit society even after 20 years of recession with no growth, staggering debt and high unemployment.”  She added, that there have been massive

reconstruction, new jobs and social changes following past disasters. “Every day the nuclear problem gets worse and that is the wild card that can drag us into a recession again.”

Laurna Godwin, Becky Kueker

In the Ritz ballroom, a gambol was held by the Herbert Hoover  Girls &  Boys Club, presided over by its prez Flint Fowler.  Testimonials were given about the 40 year-old charity, that serves about 653 young women.  Co-chair Laurna Godwin said that “more tables were sold this year than ever before.”  And, co-chair

Ashleigh Smith, Paula Lewis, Flint Fowler, Mazie Holland

Becky Kueker spoke of nutrition and how it has helped her after having a heart event a month ago.  ”More and more young women are having heart problems than ever before,” she said.  Attorney Jean Scott: “Herbert Hoover Girls & Boys Club has made a huge commitment to our community.”  WashU’s medical researcher on eye diseases Mae Gordon added, “To some of the kids, the club is a second and sometimes only family.” Peter Forder, front office manager of the Ritz-Carlton, likes to boast that his mom, retired St. Louis Circuit Judge Anna Forder, had a tough time getting a job at the Lashly Library, but she persevered and is on duty there.  ”They couldn’t believe that she wanted a job with 30 years of courtroom experience behind her,” he said.  But for now, Anna still keeps her robes in courtrooms to fill in for vacationing judges.

Look for McDonald’s, which serves about 50 million customers a day, to ramp up sales this fall with a new line of at least 10 different oatmeals, confirmed hometowner Jimmie Williams. Williams and his wife, Janet, happen to be franchisees of the fast food company. Caught up with Jimmie as he put the final touches on his newest eatery in Jennings – his fourth spinoff. Others are in Bellefontaine Neighbors and two in nearby Illinois. Of note, the Williamses are boosters of the United Negro College Fund, which held its gala earlier in the week and where six students were presented scholarships. . .Clayton High alum Mike O’Brien, with his mom, Jenny Ledeen, were espied, while waiting for take-out at Protzel’s Deli. O’Brien’s wife, Teresa and eight year-old heiress, Rose, were at home in Michigan. O’Brien’s dad, Mike Ledeen, is a former WashU prof. Of note, Mike is an exec with BluewaterWind, a New Jersey-based firm, that recovers wind for energy offshore. . .Bellington Realty’s Mike Litz was also there and described how he battles the woes facing the industry and said, “We have to play offense instead of defense. There are still a great deal of opportunities out there”. . . Albert II Sovereign Prince of Monaco bopped into town to visit with syndicated broadcaster George Noory. . .Foodies would have their lives diminished if they don’t check out the fare at Bici, on the corner of Jackson and Pershing Avenues, south of Delmar Boulevard. That’s where we bumped into WashU prof Kathleen Brickey and a few of her students in Brickey’s classes of corporate and white collar crime. Another regular, Smith Moore veep and financial analyst Juli Niemann, frowned and told the columnist, “There are Ponzi schemes everywhere”. . .Also learned that hometowner Susan Switzer, who lives in Albuquerque, N.M., commutes to our town to handle PR for the Society of the Sacred Heart, based here. Her daughter, Sara, is deputy director of PR for Vanity Fair mag. . .Then, it was over to Viviano & Sons on The Hill, where affable consultant Dave Prouhet rolled out a new line of wines, distributed by Viviano, called Sopranos. BTW, Prouhet’s family, owns the popular Prouhet Farms near the St. Louis Mills.

Juli Niemann with Carmello Gabriele at Il Bel Lago

So, it was shave, shower and shoot – the columnist’s new semi-automatic – at Bulls Eye Range on Manchester and then to Il Bel Lago for lunch with financial analyst Juli Niemann, who predicted “We’re looking at double-digit recession – and increasing – by summer or fall.”  As for foreclosures?  “We’ll see more foreclosures, because of the reset in adjustable mortgages,” she said. Despite the many bank woes, Niemann paid tribute to Commerce Banks, U.S. Banks and United Missouri Banks “because they didn’t do any of that lousy lending,” she pointed out. Niemann got kudos for her 20th anniversary as an analyst in the 12 noon block at KSDK, Channel 5.